ABSTRACT
The evidence of waiting lists Analysis of waiting list information, and consideration of allocation systems, may offer some evidence of which groups are disadvantaged and which are relatively favoured. But the first point which must be made concerning waiting lists is that those who have joined one are themselves disadvantaged relative to most owner-occupiers, in relation both to housing consumption and to accumulative potential. This issue will be returned to later in this chapter, when discussing the shortage of council housing in rural areas. This section, however, reviews several studies of waiting lists in rural areas with the primary intention of gaining an impression, albeit partial, of which groups in rural society exhibit unsatisfied need for housing. Some insight into how council allocation policies modify the incidence of disadvantage may also be gained.
